Too late
by bibi 13ca
Summary: Another version of the episiode "Dinner party" How would Elena react when Damon's in danger? What will happen to Damon? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**N: **_Please keep an open mind and wait until the end of the story before you guys hate me, ok!_

_Special thanks to my beta, Zoraya Windwalker for doing an amazing job with this! _

LAKE HOUSE

"Stefan, look, Jonathan Gilbert studied The Originals too."

As Stefan sat down beside me, I showed him the page I had been reading just now.

"It says here that there was only one type of wood that would kill an original. When the tree burned, they though there was no hope left, but someone forged a special dagger and had it spelled by a powerful witch – you have to dip the dagger into the ash of the wood and stab them with it. As long as the dagger stays in, the Original stays _dead."_

"So, John was right…"

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a hint of suspicion in my voice.

"Well, John gave Damon the dagger you're talking about. And a small bottle full of the ash of this tree."

"You mean _this_ dagger?" I asked, showing him a drawing of said dagger.

"Exactly."

"You're saying that Damon is trying to kill Elijah? _Now_?"

"As we speak…"

"No, Stefan, you have to stop him…you…he can't…" I got up from the couch and started walking towards the door, taking the car keys with me. "…Stefan, we have to…call him, tell him to stop!" Stefan took his phone and immediately called Damon – he would have asked why, but her voice was so desperate that he didn't.

"He's not answering."

"No, no, no…"

Stefan came in front of me, put his hands on each of my shoulders and shook me to stop me from panicking.

"Elena, what's wrong?"

"We have to get there…now, Stefan, now!"

"Ok, but I'll drive, you're trembling. You'll have to explain to me what's wrong once we get in the car."

I got in the passenger seat, put my hand-bag between my legs and started playing with the zipper.

"We need to get there fast Stefan, can't you drive faster?" I asked, yelling at him, for not understanding the gravity of the situation I haven't even explained to him.

"Elena, you're scaring me, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down; your brother's going to die if we don't get to him in time."

"I think you're overreacting. Elijah has no idea that we know about this weapon, much less that Damon is going to use it to kill him – or that we even _have_ it - so short after he has threatened him. By the time he's going to figure this out, he'll be already dead…"

He stopped talking once he saw me shaking my head to contradict him.

"By the time Elijah's dead, Damon will be too…" I said.

"Why would Damon be dead?"

"If a vampire uses that weapon to kill another vampire, they both die…" I whispered.

"So if Damon stakes Elijah, he'll die too?"

"Took you long enough! Yes Stefan, that's what this means. Now that you understand what I'm saying, can you please drive faster? Or better yet, let me drive!" I said, at this point seriously believing that I could drive faster than he. I didn't even notice that he was going over 150 km/h already.

"Elena, I'm going as fast as I can. Now, are you going to calm down or do I have to compel you?"

"Don't you dare Stefan! I don't understand how you can be so calm, he's your brother!"

"Do you really think that both of us freaking out like that will help Damon?"

"I'm not freaking out" I denied.

He tried to grab me hand, but I pulled it back. He wanted to hold my hand, but I wanted to do something, _anything_. I couldn't stay still.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"At the Boarding House, John and Alaric are there too. Alaric's phone is going straight to voicemail and John isn't answering his." he answered.

"Of course he doesn't answer, that was his plan all along, to kill Damon. He knew what would happen as he gave that to him. If he succeeds, I swear I'm going to kill that man. I told you he's nothing but trouble." I was shaking even harder than before, growing angrier and angrier. Stefan put his hand on my knee. For the first time since I've known Stefan, his touch didn't help me with calming down…

BOARDING HOUSE

When we finally arrived, I practically jumped from the car while it was still moving. I started running towards the house but before I had the time to realize what was happening, Stefan was standing in the doorway, blocking my way.

"Stefan, what the…move!" I yelled.

"Elena, I don't think you…"

"Stefan, get out of my way, now!" I interrupted him.

I pushed him and yelled at him for a few more seconds before he finally moved aside, realizing that there was no reasoning with me at the moment. I passed him and ran inside. Alaric was standing in the middle of the living room, with a shocked expression on his face and John was just a few steps behind him, having a satisfied expression on his face. In that moment, I realized what happened, but I refused to believe it until I saw Elijah's and Damon's bodies…

"No, Damon…" I screamed and walked over, kneeling besides him. I took his head and placed it in my lap. I didn't even realize I was crying until I saw my tears on Damon still face.

"Damon, wake up, it's me, Elena, please wake up!" I said to him, words barely recognizable because of my sobs.

"Elena…" John started.

"Stefan!" I yelled, even though I didn't have to, he was right beside me. "Get him out; I want him out, now!" I said, moving my head in John's direction. Satisfied that Stefan was taking John away, I turned my attention back to Damon. Everything was looking blurry, because of the tears in my eyes. It was like a nightmare.

"Damon…" I whispered his name sounding like a prayer. But he wasn't responding. He wasn't smirking at me, or rolling his beautiful eyes at me…he wasn't making some inappropriate joke or trying to threaten someone…he wasn't even moving, he was just lying there… I took a glass from the small table besides me; I broke it and used the shards to cut my wrist. I moaned and pushed it to his mouth. I was hearing voices, from what seemed like miles away. It was Caroline, I think…or Bonnie…or both.

"_How long?" Caroline asked._

"_Almost half an hour. She doesn't let anyone approach or talk to her" Stefan answered. _

"_Bonnie, are you bleeding again?"_

"_No, I'm not."_

"_Then why do I smell blood?"_

_The answer came from Alaric: "It's Elena, she cut her wrist…to feed Damon…" he said in a sad voice._

_Caroline started walking forward, but Stefan stopped her and lead her towards the door._

"_Go and try talking to her, Bonnie!" Stefan shouted over his shoulder._

"Damon, drink it and wake up, damn it!"

I felt a hand on my back and I pushed it away. "Leave me alone, Stefan, I want to be alone!"

"Elena, it's me, Bonnie. Stefan's not here." She said softly, approaching me with slow, careful steps, placing her hand on my back again.

I threw my arms around her and started crying uncontrollable.

"Bonnie, you have to do something…you have to…bring him back, please, please!" I cried.

"Shh, shh, we're going to find a way to bring him back…you'll see, we're going to find a way." She said, moving her hand up and down my back. "Let me put something on your wrist, you cut yourself pretty deep. Stefan and Caroline couldn't handle the blood; I should take care of that before they come back."

"No, what if he wakes up, he's going to need it" I said determined.

"Elena, he's not waking up…please, let me take a look at that!"

"No, no, he has to wake up, he can't just…he can't just be gone…forever…" I let Bonnie go and got Damon back in my arms again, pressing his head against my chest, moving back and forward, begging him to wake up.

Suddenly I started feeling a twinkling sensation all over my body, the objects around started to lose their forms, growing blurry around the edges and then it all went black.

"Alaric!" Bonnie yelled. "She passed out from the blood loss. Put her on the couch, I'll go find some towels and water to clean that wound."

They had to detach her fingers from Damon shirt, because she wouldn't let go…

**N: **_Hope you guys like it; review and tell me! The next chapter is going to take a while, so I apologize in advance for that, school exams…_

_Love you all! _


	2. Chapter 2

**N: **_First, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed this story. I tried to answer everyone but for those I couldn't, THANK YOU! After all your great reviews, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!_

_PS: Sorry for taking forever to update!_

I was fully awake, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I was afraid the _bad dream___I had, might not be a dream after all and if I'd open my eyes I'll know for sure. Technically I knew that I was just being in denial, but at the moment I just wanted to pretend for a little while longer and just…hope.

"Elena…Elena…" I could hear Stefan's gentle voice calling me, but I refused to open my eyes.

"Stefan, I had a bad dream. You were there too…and…Damon…we got there too late. He was…dead, Stefan…dead…" I said in a whisper. He didn't answer, and I knew that could only mean one thing…it wasn't a dream after all. I slowly opened my eyes then; I had to blink a few times, to let my eyes adjust to the light. I raised my hands to my face and noticed that my left hand was bandaged. I covered my face with my hands and started crying, remembering exactly how I got injured. Stefan took a seat on the couch, beside me and a second later I felt his hand on my head, his fingers curling up in my hair, pulling me towards him. I hid my face in the crook of his neck, wrapping my arms around him, holding him close.

"It wasn't a dream…was it?" I didn't wait for an answer. "There has to be something we can do…"

"I don't know, Elena…there is no cure for death… and Damon and I cheated it once before already and I don't think that… I don't think he's going to be able to do it again." he said in my ear, "…I'm sorry…" he added.

I pulled back and stood up. He caught me before I had the chance to meet with the floor on a more personal level.

"Hey, I got you" he said placing me back on the couch. "Where exactly think you're going?" he asked.

"I want to go see John" I answered.

"A few hours ago, you wanted him gone…"

"I know. I still don't want him here or anywhere near Damon."

"Than what do you want to see him for? "

"I need to tell him something" I said and stood up once again. I got dizzy but this time I didn't fall.

"At least eat something before you go – I'll even come with you, alright?"

"I need to do this on my own and I'm not hungry" I said walking towards the door.

"Elena, you lost a lot of blood, you have to eat!"

"Stefan, please don't start with…" the knock on the door interrupted my words. I took a few steps forward and opened the door to see Bonnie standing in the doorway, looking at me confused.

"Bonnie…would you please wait for me here, I need to talk with you. I won't be long" I said, passing her. I was almost in the car when I heard her call me.

"Elena, wait, where are you going?"

I chose to ignore her, got in the car and drove away. I had a feeling that I would find John at my house, so I drove there in record time – breaking a few traffic laws on the way. And I had been right, he really was there. I didn't even have to wait or look for him. He was right there in the kitchen. When he heard me coming in, he raised his head and looked at me with relief.

"Elena, thank God you're ok!"

"Really John…really, do I look _ok_ to you?" I asked, feeling the anger possessing every pore of her body.

"Elena, look…" he started.

"Save it John, I don't want to hear it, whatever you want to say, whatever you do, nothing will ever change what you did…" my voice was getting weaker and choked up as I tried to hold back the tears. "It wasn't enough that you almost killed both of them on Founder's Day…" I took a deep breath, but it didn't work. My voice started shaking and I felt the first tears made their way out of my eyes. "How could you do that? And you call yourself my father…you pretend you care…you knew…killing him would… would hurt me…how could you do that to me?" I asked, yelling at him, walking in his direction.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully John…I never, ever in my life, want to see your face again. I'll get a restraining order…I'll even have Stefan compel you if it gets to that, to make sure I'll never see you again." I turned around, ready to leave, but I stopped in front of the door and turned to face him.

"Oh, and one more thing: when I'll find a way to bring him back, and don't think I won't, if he decides to come after you…and kill you…I promise you, I won't stop him." The last few words came out very calm and collected; not even a threat but a promise instead. As I left the house, I also left a very confused, scared and hurt John Gilbert in the middle of the kitchen.

I got in the car and drove back to the Boarding House. Once inside, I expected Stefan to appear in front of me, but that didn't happen.

"Stefan" I called, but got no answer.

I slowly made my way down to the basement, thinking that that's where Stefan must've taken Damon's body, but it wasn't there…I decided to check Damon's room before freaking out.

I ran up the stairs and stopped in the hallway to catch my breath.

As I stepped inside Damon's room I couldn't help but to stop in the middle of it, looking at the lifeless body resting in the middle of the huge bed. I was feeling tears forming in my eyes again. If not for the gray tone of his skin, I would have thought he was just sleeping; he looked peaceful enough for it. But I knew that he would not jump up to scare me once I got close enough, so I closed the distance between me and his bed and set on the edge, taking Damon's hand into mine.

"You stubborn pain in the ass…you just had to do it, didn't you? You just _had_ to kill Elijah…" I let go of his hand just to wipe away the tears on my cheek, then I took it back.

"Now look what you have done" I raised my hand and touched his forehead, then moved my fingers lower, pushing a hair strand out of his face.

"Who's going to save me now… or rescue me when I do something stupid? " I asked. "You were supposed to be here…to protect me…I had you and you had me…" big heavy tears were falling from my eyes, way too many for me to wipe away, so I just let them fall; down my cheeks, dropping down from my chin, and finally soaking into the material of my t-shirt.

"Damn it Damon, why did you have to do that?" I got closer to him and rested my head on his chest, my hand still holding his…

"Who's going to make me laugh when I don't want to, or tease me just for the hell of it…who's going to do all that now, Damon?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

"What if I can't find a way to bring you back, you idiot…what if I lost you forever?" my voice was braking again, "you saved me from my suicide mission, but I couldn't save you from yours…" I bit my lip to stop a scream; instead I let out a soft moan.

"Do you have any idea how I felt when I walked into the house and saw your body…just lying there…do you?" I looked at him like I was really expecting him to answer. "I tell you how it felt, Damon: it felt like my parents death all over again, it felt like the whole world was falling apart around me and…and I wanted to fall apart with it…so maybe then, the pain would just stop…"

"That's intense…" a voice commented.

I literally jumped up.

"Katherine…how…what are you doing here?"

**N: **_So, what do you think? I hope that after all your kind words I didn't let you guys down…Review and let me know if that's the case!_

_Also for all the hopeless romantic, twisted, lost, tormented souls out there I'll give you a song to listen after this story: __**Because you loved me – Celine Dion **__Hope you'll enjoy it! _


	3. Chapter 3

**N: **_Special thanks go to my amazing beta Zoraya Windwalker, for her wonderful job on this! _

"Katherine…how…what are you doing here?"

"Just making sure everyone had done their job around here…I see they did. I also enjoyed your little conversation with _dead_ Damon…very touchy. I'm sure Stefan enjoyed it too."

"Stefan is not home. What are you doing here?" I asked again, my surprise quickly changing to anger.

"Ok, first of all, Stefan is home and he has been for a while now. He's in the library with Bonnie, they're looking for a book and I'm sure he heard you perfectly well. Second: are you deaf? I already told you why I'm here. To check on things" she said and got beside me, looking down at Damon. I got in front of her, blocking her way, like I was instinctively trying to protect Damon from her.

"Whoa there tiger! It's not like I can kill him…" she said, laughing at her own joke. "Are you going to keep him here forever? It's kind of creepy if you ask me."

"Good thing that no one asked you then."

"I guess you'll probably wonder how I got out of the tomb" she said, not waiting for my answer. "See, Elijah's compulsion was the only thing keeping me in there, so once Damon killed him, I was free…"

"Elena, are you ok? What are _you_ doing here?" Stefan asked getting in front of me.

"You people have no imagination…" Katherine commented, rolling her eyes.

I didn't even look at Stefan; my eyes were on Katherine, my mind replaying her words.

"You said: 'when Damon killed Elijah' how did you know he was the one who did it?" I asked.

"You caught that, didn't you? Well, I kind of knew about the whole 'the one who kills dies too' part."

I was speechless for a moment, not expecting her to give me an honest answer.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! You would've done the same if you'd been in my place" she said. I was watching her even more confused than before.

"Ok, let me explain that. See, John wants, or…_wanted_, both, Stefan and Damon dead, so little Miss Elena here could live a life free of vampires once and for all. I wanted out of that tomb, so we made a deal. I'll spare you the details; he made me choose…I could only save one…"

"So you chose Stefan…" I interrupted her, putting the pieces together.

"For what it's worth, I didn't want Damon dead…but better him than Stefan, right?" she asked and looked at me like she was really expecting an answer. How was I supposed to give her one? How could I make a decision like that, to choose between them? Of course, I didn't want Stefan dead…but the thought of Damon being gone forever didn't sound better either. I realized a long time ago, Damon was part of my life, one of the few people that would stand by me no matter what, that believed in me, that saved me, one of the people, I would gladly sacrifice my own life for…

"Anyway, I just came here, to make sure Stefan is unharmed. I see he's fine, so I'll just go now"

"Wait…" I heard myself call after her. She turned and looked at me, waiting.

"How do we bring him back?" I asked, unsure.

"You don't!" she answered quickly.

"What if we take the dagger out of Elijah's body? If he comes back to live, wouldn't Damon come back too?"

"Come on Elena, even you're not that stupid! If you do that and Elijah's back, he will, without a doubt, kill all the persons you love, starting with the one that staked him."

"Is there any other way?" I asked. I was almost scared of the desperation that sounded so clear in my voice.

"You're the one with a witch as a best friend; I'll let you figure this one out." She said and walked to the window. "I love you Stefan, don't you ever doubt that!" she said over her shoulder and disappeared in a split second.

Stefan looked after her for a few seconds then turned and wrapped his arms around me and I returned the gesture. I pulled back as soon as I realized that his embrace wasn't giving me the comfort I was looking for. I wasn't ready to admit it, but I knew that the only person whose embrace could've given me what I needed right now, was lying in the bed next to us…

"Is Bonnie still here?" I asked.

"Yes, she's downstairs, in the library" he answered.

I started walking towards the door, but he caught my hand, successfully stopping me.

"Elena…how are you?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine, Stefan. I just need to talk to Bonnie."

"You want to ask her to bring him back, don't you?"

"Stefan…he's dead because of me…he did this to set me free. He killed Elijah for _me_…" I said, my voice getting all weak again.

"Elena, don't do this, don't blame yourself for this!"

"How could I not? It _is_ my fault."

"Don't do this Elena! Is not your fault you were born to be the doppelganger of an evil bitch that pissed off the most powerful vampires in history 500 years ago…"

"That evil bitch saved your life Stefan, and she didn't have more of a choice than I do!" I yelled. My words shocked him and I took advantage of that and pulled out of his gasp.

I expected him to follow me as I was getting down the stairs, but he didn't.

When I got the library, Bonnie was leaning against the desk, with a huge book in her hands.

"Found anything useful yet?" I asked.

She raised her head, put the book on the desk and ran towards me. She threw her hands around me, holding me tight.

"Are you ok? What did she want? Stefan told me to stay here…"

"I'm fine Bonnie, she just came here to make sure Stefan's still alive" I pulled back from the embrace and took a seat on a chair nearby. I was feeling weak… Bonnie got back to her book. I was gazing into vacancy…

"It's strange you know, if you think about it…how we both fell for the same guy…centuries apart, different worlds…still it happened…" I said in a whisper.

"What are you talking about? That bitch didn't fall for anyone…"

"I think she did. I bet she didn't plan it, but she did. I really believe she loves Stefan, in her own selfish and twisted way."

I heard the entrance door open and close. A minute later I saw Caroline and Alaric walking into the room, followed shortly after by Stefan.

"Is this an intervention?" Alaric asked sarcastically, but no one laughed. "Sorry. I just thought that someone needs to be sarcastic, since Damon's not here…" he explained himself.

If I wouldn't know better, I would've said that the teacher missed Damon…

"Since everybody's here…" I started looking around, "…can you tell us what you found, did you find a way to bring him back?" I asked looking at Bonnie.

"Well, yes…kind of, but…I need a person, _person_, not a vampire that wants Damon back. And when I say want, I mean _really_ want him alive again" she said and I immediately felt four pairs of eyes on me. I was probably the only person in the world wanting Damon back as much as I did… But then again, I was the only one that really knew him…understood him…trusted him… believed in him. I didn't care what everyone else thought or felt about him. He was my friend; he helped me and took care of me. He was the one person that would always tell me the truth no matter how ugly it was. The one who would always save me and make sure I was safe. The one that would always save my life and the one that _died_ saving my life…he deserved to be alive.

"I'll do it" I said. Realizing just a few seconds later that I had no idea what was I offering to do – and not really caring either, as long as it meant he would be alive again. "What do I have to do, exactly?"

**N: **_Anxiously waiting for your reviews! _


	4. Chapter 4

**N: **_Thank you for all your reviews, keep them coming, I love them!_

_Many, many thanks to my awesome beta Zoraya Windwalker for her beautiful job on this, love ya!_

"I'll do it" I said. Realizing just a few seconds later that I had no idea what was I offering to do - and not really caring either, as long as it meant he would be alive again. "What would I have to do, exactly?"

"Nothing yet, the spell must be performed on a full moon, which is two days away still. The essence of life, which for Damon and any other vampire is blood from the person who wants him back, in our case, Elena's blood, is required. A human wanting to bring back a vampire from the dead is sacred, even for a witch, that's why the spell was made. But it must be real, if the human is under compulsion, it won't work."

"But Elena already gave her blood to Damon once and nothing happened" Alaric said.

"Well yeah, but there wasn't a spell involved as she did that, was there? Also, it _has_ to be on the rise of a full moon. Bonnie answered.

"What if it doesn't work?" Caroline asked and my heart stopped beating for a moment, waiting for Bonnie's response.

"Well, there's no guaranty, if Elena has any second thoughts or she's questioning her decision even for a moment, it won't work. If that's the case…there's no other way to bring him back…his body will turn into ashes after the full moon" she said looking at me.

"Thank you for this Bonnie. I know this is not easy for you and I know you are _not _Damon's biggest fan" I said, a few minutes after Alaric went home and Stefan and Caroline left to go hunting.

"No, you're right, I'm not Damon's fan in any way, but I am a big, _big_ fan of yours and I can see how much his death is hurting you. I also know you well enough to know you're blaming yourself for it."

"I can't _not_…he did it for me…"

"I know, that's why I'm doing this. Now, to change the topic: Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I think I'm going to stay here. Jenna still thinks I'm at the lake house with Stefan. I'll call her later to let her know I decided to stay a few more days, I'm sure she won't mind."

"Ok, see you tomorrow then" she said giving me a hug, and then took off.

I immediately jumped into the shower, hoping the water would calm me down and relax me…that of course didn't happen… Once I got out of the bathroom, I realized how exhausted I really was. I also remembered I haven't eaten anything all day, but I didn't have the strength to do it now. I just climbed in Stefan's bed, pulled the covers all the way over my head, and waited for the sweet, sweet obliviousness of sleep to take me away…but it didn't happen. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see, were Damon's sparkly blue ones. I stuck my head out from under the covers and saw Stefan entering the room.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here, did I wake you?" he asked.

"No, I was waiting for you" I said.

He came up beside me and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be right back" he said and disappeared.

Seconds later I heard the shower running.

I closed my eyes again, begging my mind to let go of Damon for just a minute, so I could fall asleep…but I lost the battle… My body and my subconscious just wouldn't let go of him. If I wouldn't see him, I would feel him, if I wouldn't feel him, I would smell him…no matter what I did or didn't do, it was as if he was still there.

I didn't even notice as Stefan got out from the bathroom until I felt his body next to mine. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight, pulling me close to him.

"Elena…are you going to be ok, if, you know…the spell doesn't work?" he asked weakly.

"I don't…I can't…I won't think about that Stefan, I can't"

"But…"

"No, Stefan, please!" I interrupted him, the thought just made my heart break into a million pieces, it hurt too much. He didn't say anything after that, he just held me, his grip getting weaker and weaker as he was falling asleep.

I tossed and turned around, trying to find a comfortable position, counted a gazillion sheeps and tried the '_go to your happy place'_ thing, but nothing worked. Two hours after Stefan had fallen asleep; I wasn't even close on doing the same.

I slowly pulled the covers away and got out of the bed. I watched Stefan, making sure that he was still asleep. Glad that he was, I tip-toed my way out of the room.

My feet carried me to Damon's bedroom like they were on autopilot and without even giving it a conscious thought; I climbed into his bed next to him. He was cold, and soon my teeth started to chatter. I took the blanked that was on the chair next to me and wrapped it around my body. I couldn't stop my hand as it made its way to Damon face, caressing his forehead, his cheeks, his nose…

"I miss those blue eyes of yours…" I said in a whisper.

My fingertips got lower on his face, stopping on his lips, they were so soft…

"I miss that smirk that appears on your lips every time you're on to something…"

A weak smile formed in the corner of my lips.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss your twisted sense of humor and the way you boss everyone around…" I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with his scent. "God, Damon I miss you so much it hurts…" I said, staring at his face. "This spell…it has to work…you have to wake up. You can't _not_ wake up, you can't do this to me…I need you…do you hear me? I _need_ you, Damon." I leaned over him and whispered something into his ear, kissing his cold cheek on my way back. Then I took his hand into mine and put my head on his shoulder.

This time around, sleep didn't elude me, and in a matter of minutes I was far away, in a place where the man next to me wasn't cold and gray.

As I opened my eyes again I was confused for a moment – didn't I fall asleep in Damon's room? Then why was I back in Stefan's bed? I certainly couldn't remember coming back here.

"Are you ok?" Stefan asked worried.

"How…when…when did I…"

"I woke up and you weren't here…I found you in Damon's room. You were sleeping beside him…his room is not heated; you were trembling, so I brought you back here. Are you ok?" he asked again.

"Yes, I am…"

"Bonnie is downstairs. She wants to know if you're going to school."

"No, I won't."

"Elena, he's not _going_ anywhere…" he said.

"I know, but somehow it feels like it…just tell her I don't feel good, please."

"If that's what you want."

"It is."

After a quick shower, I headed towards the hall. I was about to enter Damon's room, when Stefan called my name.

"Elena…" in a second he was beside me "You have to eat" he said.

"I'm not hungry" I said.

"I don't care, Elena, you haven't eaten anything in nearly three days now. If you don't eat, I'll lock the door and I'm not letting you in there anymore" he said, placing himself between me and the door.

"Fine, I'll eat" I practically ran down the stairs, into the kitchen and threw myself in a chair. He put in front of me a large plate with eggs, bacon, cheese, an orange and two slices of toast.

"I want the plate clean!" he said determined.

I haven't realized how hungry I was until I started eating. I cleaned the plate in less than 15 minutes.

"I'll take the coffee upstairs with me – or is that another reason to lock the door?" The words came out colder than I intended them to, but I just hadn't had the patience left to apologize for it. Also… I wasn't even sure if I even wanted to apologize in the first pace.

Didn't even matter anyway, as in the next moment I had a cup of coffee in front of me – still black, but Stefan was putting away the sugar, so I knew he remembered to put some into my coffee. Just how I liked it best. Still… right now, I had no place in my head to be appreciative of things he remembered or not.

"Thanks" I said and turned around, making my way towards the stairs.

"So, your brother forced me to eat. I bet you'll have some sarcastic line about this" I said, smiling at him, thinking about tomorrow. A night with full _moon_ for some, a night full of _hopes_ for others…

**N: **_Ok, so hope you like it, review and let me know! The next one's going to be the last one and I really hope the end is not going to disappoint you guys… _


	5. Chapter 5

**N: **_Ok, so there you go, the last chapter, enjoy!_

_Again, a __**big**__ fat THANK YOU to my absolutely amazing beta Zoraya Widwalker, she made this sound soooo much better!_

Caroline had plans with her dad, Alaric, Jeremy and Jenna went camping, so it was just Bonnie, Stefan and I. We were all gathered in Damon's room which was lit by the candles standing around everywhere - on the table, the nightstand, the floor…_every_where.

"So, what do I have to do?" I asked Bonnie.

"I just need some blood from you" she said, and stepped in front of me, pushing me down into a chair. "Stay still!" she ordered and took small elastic out of her backpack. She tightened it around my upper arm, and then she took out a syringe. I looked at her and she saw my fear.

"Grams taught me how to do this…I never thought I'll actually need to know how to do something like that, but I guess its true what they say: never say never! Right?" she smiled at me "Don't worry, it won't hurt" she continued.

It wasn't a matter of hurt, I wasn't afraid of the pain; it was the damn needle. I closed my eyes, breathing slowly, trying to relax, and waiting for it to be over.

"That's it, good girl" Bonnie said – I could hear the grin out of her voice… I guess it is a little ridiculous to be afraid of needles, when you are friends with a bunch of vampires - then she turned to Stefan "Do you have some chocolate or anything sweet?" she asked him. He nodded and disappeared from the room. He came back a few seconds later and handed me a piece of white chocolate.

"Thanks" I said and took it from his hand. I ate it without even thinking about it, I hadn't even registered the taste…like chocolate I guess…

Meanwhile, Bonnie placed the container, which looked like a test tube, with my blood in the middle of the room, and sat down beside it. She closed her eyes and raised her hands, making the flames of the candles go up. Stefan took a few steps forward and got beside me. She started to chant something that sounded like a prayer in a foreign language. Suddenly the flame of each candle severed itself from the wick, uniting just above Bonnie's head.

As soon as she opened her eyes, the flames disappeared. She brought her hand to her now bleeding nose and I ran towards her.

"I'm fine" she said, placing the test tube in my hand, "You need to be the one giving it to him. Just pour it into his mouth."

I climbed into the bed beside Damon and Stefan was standing right behind me in a matter of seconds.

"Don't worry about him attacking her; it will take a few hours before he wakes up." Bonnie said and I saw Stefan relaxing.

I opened the tiny bottle, put my hand under his chin and used my thumb to crack his mouth open. For some reason I licked my lips before starting to pour the liquid into his awaiting mouth, slowly, until it was all gone. I used my sleeve to wipe away the small amount of blood I dropped on his bottom lip and put the empty container on the nightstand. Then I pulled my legs underneath me, staring at the body in front of me, unable to move away. His face still looked the same – gray, with those cruel veins running down his cheeks. But Bonnie had said it might take awhile, so I wasn't about to lose hope just yet.

"I would like to wait here, if you don't mind…" Bonnie said, looking at Stefan.

"Of course that's no problem, I'm sure Elena will appreciate it. You'll have to sleep with Elena in by bedroom, since it's the only one heated and I don't want you guys to freeze"

I vaguely saw Stefan push Bonnie out of the room, but I could still hear them.

"Are you sure you want to stay? I'm sure he won't hurt her, Bonnie. Anyway, I'll be here, I won't let anything happen to her" Stefan said.

"That's not why I'm staying, Stefan. I know Damon won't hurt her and I know you'll keep her safe. I'm staying, just in case he…he doesn't…wake up…" she finally finished.

A sigh escaped my lips at her words. I guess Stefan heard me, because before I could blink, he was beside me, wrapping his arms around me.

"He has to wake up Stefan, he has to wake up…he has to…he has…to…"

"Shhh, he will Elena, he will wake up" he said, moving his hands up and down my arms, "You heard Bonnie, it just takes some time."

"Where's she?" I asked.

"She decided she needs a shower, because she smells like candles" I smiled weakly "She'll sleep with you in my room, ok?" I nodded even though I knew I won't be able to sleep – even though I knew I wouldn't ever be able to have a good night's sleep again, if he won't wake up.

TWO HOURS LATER

I decided it was time to snoop through Damon impressive book collection. I picked one and started reading the summary on the cover. I heard Stefan come inside the room, but I didn't bother to stop reading and look at him; I just sat down in a chair next to Damon's bed and opened the book on the first page. Stefan took a seat on the arm of the chair beside me, petting my head as I was reading – it irritated me slightly, because I wasn't a dog that needed placating.

All of a sudden he stood up in front of me "Ok, that's it, this is ridiculous. You can't stay here Elena, you'll freeze! You can read in my room. I promise you that if he even moves a finger I'll let you know, I promise" he said, softly.

"Ok" I answered simply. He was right, there was nothing I could do which was driving me crazy and I was so cold that I could barely move anymore. I didn't want to leave his side, but it wouldn't do anyone any good, if I ended up with pneumonia.

I got to his room, climbed in the middle of the bed and started reading again.

"I'm starving…" Bonnie complained.

"There's food in the fridge, Stefan keeps it for me, but if you don't mind, I'm not in the mood to see food right now…" I said.

"I'll keep you company" Stefan offered.

"Ok, I won't be long" she said and walked after Stefan.

I had that annoying feeling that someone was watching me. I flipped the corner of the page I was on and raised my head, my eyes looking for the intruder.

And there he was…standing in the doorway, as beautiful and confident as always, smirking at me like nothing ever happened, like he had never been gone, leaving me with a void in my heart…

The book fell forgotten from my hands, and before I even knew what I was doing, I practically flew across the room and threw my arms around his neck, burying my nose in his neck, simply inhaling his scent. My hands moved all over his body, his face, his cheeks, his nose, his ears, his mouth…to make sure he was real. Satisfied, I pulled him closer, my breasts crushing against his chest, holding him tight. I never wanted to let go, I was afraid that if I did…he would disappear.

"It's probably good that I don't actually need to breathe, because I think you would've suffocated me otherwise…" he said and I smiled.

Sparkly, breathtaking blue eyes, check; annoying smirk on his face, check; overpowering ego, check; expensive cologne, check; twisted, sarcastic sense of humor, check; it was definitely Damon.

Happy tears were now dropping from my eyes, only to disappear into the material of his shirt. He was moving his hands up and down my back whispering in my ear.

"Hey, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I guess I owe you now, though… since it's been you that made sure that I'm still a living-dead person."

I don't know if it's been his words or something else, but I suddenly pulled back and started hitting him. I was so angry at him…

"You…you idiot…you stubborn idiot, do you have any idea of the hell you put me through?" I yelled, pounding my fists against his chest, "if you ever die on me again, I swear I'll bring you back and kill you myself! Don't you ever, ever, ever do that to me again… _ever_…!"

He caught my hands making me stop, and then he took my face between his palms, forcing me to look at him.

"Elena, look at me." his eyes were trained on mine and I couldn't help but to stare right back, to fall into his eyes…they were my oceans and big waves were pulling me deeper and deeper…

"I'm here now…look, I didn't do it on purpose, and I wasn't on some kind of suicide mission…" I didn't say anything; I just waited for him to go on. "But I want you to know that, even if I knew, I would've still done it…for you…"

"Damon…" I started, but his finger on my lips stopped me.

"When I first came back here, all I wanted was to take back the woman that I thought I loved and destroy this town for what it did to her…to _me_… In the meantime, I met this girl, sweet, caring, honest, and brave, with the most amazing smile…" I instinctively smiled at the mention of the word, "…yeah, that one" he said and returned the favor. "This girl, she didn't just decide to hate me like anyone else, even though I was a dick, and I more than likely would have deserved it. She took the time to get to know and understand me…she started to care about me, she even saved my life a few times - by the way, you do realize that it's becoming kind of a habit, don't you? This girl, she figured me out…it's almost like she can read my mind. She made me care, she gave me a purpose in life, and she made me feel human again…"

A few tears made their appearance (again) as I was taking in the sincerity shining bright in his eyes.

"One look from her beautiful brown eyes and I'd fly to the moon for her, there's nothing I _wouldn't_ do for her. She means more to me than she will ever know. I can't lose her, because losing her would mean losing myself…so if my life is what it takes for her to be safe and happy, then so be it, it's worth it…"

"Damon I…"

"I do have two questions though" he interrupted and I nodded. "While I was…well, dead, did you talk to me?"

"Sometimes…" I answered.

"Oh, good, I thought it was a dream. Now, that brings me to my second question. You whispered something in my ear once…did you…did you mean what you said?"

Oh, my! He remembered that…why would he remember _that _of all things; he wasn't supposed to, he'd been dead…if you need someone to break all the rules, Damon Salvatore is definitely your guy…

I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

"Yes, I did, I meant what I…"

I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence before I felt his lips on mine…

He was kissing me fast, hard, passionate…he was kissing me like it was for the last time, like I was his personal life elixir…he was consuming me…it took me a while before I realized that this was Damon Salvatore kissing. He wasn't kissing just with his mouth; he was using his whole body. One hand on my back, his fingers moving slowly up and down my spine, giving me chills; the other one started its journey from my cheek, to my neck, my shoulders, my chest, making my body shiver. His right leg was pushing between my thighs.

I had no idea a person could express so many emotions in just one kiss… my body was actually trembling in his arms, my back was arching as my hips were pushing forward. My hands grabbed his shirt so I wouldn't fall. He left me breathless when he pulled back.

"Say it again. I need to hear you say it when I'm actually alive."

I took his face between my palms and looked directly into his eyes, unconsciously mimicking his own actions from only minutes ago.

"I love you…" I whispered, "I love you" I said it again, louder. It should've probably felt wrong…but it didn't. It felt good, it felt great, it felt _epic_… "I'm sorry you had to die before I could admit it…"

"Hey, better late than never" he said.

I cleared my voice "Hmm, aren't you forgetting something?" I asked and from the look on his face I knew he knew that I was expecting him to return the words I'd just spoken.

"God, Elena, do I really have to tell you? Do you really don't know it? I love you more than anything in the world, I love you so much that I can feel it everywhere in me…every time I see you, you take my breath away Elena, you are my…you are my everything. Sometimes I think I'll go crazy because of it…"

"Then I guess we'll go crazy together…"

He kissed me again, making me forget everything. The problems that would await me as soon as I had to explain everything to Stefan, the trouble with Elijah, Klaus and Katherine… even my own name, but who cared about names anyway…I was his _everything_… just like he was mine. Just like we where each other's forever.

**N: **_ so, what do you think, too cheesy? Hey, it's fiction… I really hope I didn't disappoint you guys. Your last chance to review…last chapter, please do so and let me know if you liked it! _


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